Naruto: AFK System

Kakashi glanced at Guy. "Then what do you think it is?"

Guy's expression turned serious. "I think it's the Nine-Tails."

At this point, Guy didn't know that Naruto was one of Kakashi's students.

Kakashi remained silent.

He knew it wasn't Naruto.

"Kakashi, I think the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki went berserk," Guy said.

Kakashi shook his head. "I don't think that's the case."

Guy looked puzzled. "Who else besides the Nine-Tails could cause such massive destruction?"

The earlier explosion had completely altered the terrain of Konoha's mountainside.

Other than a Tailed Beast Bomb, no one could achieve that.

If Guy had known about Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, he wouldn't have made that assumption.

As the two continued their conversation, the Third Hokage approached them.

"Kakashi, how is Naruto doing right now?"

The Third Hokage also believed there was a possibility that Naruto had lost control.

Such incidents were not uncommon in the Five Great Shinobi Nations.

Jinchuriki going berserk happened often.

Not every Jinchuriki could become a perfect host.

Kakashi thought for a moment before replying, "Lord Hokage, I don't believe it's Naruto."

The Third Hokage furrowed his brows.

He thought Kakashi was trying to shield Naruto.

However, he didn't blame Kakashi.

He had always placed high hopes on Naruto.

That much was clear from his decision to assign Naruto to Team 7.

In the Third Hokage's mind, one of the members of Kakashi's Team 7 was destined to become the next Hokage.

Even though Naruto was a Jinchuriki, the Third Hokage clearly valued him.

In fact, when he assigned Kakashi to mentor Naruto and his team, he had already chosen the potential candidates for the next Hokage.

It would most likely come down to Naruto or Sasuke.

This was consistent with how the previous Hokages had been selected.

The reason the Third Hokage valued Sasuke, a member of the Uchiha clan, was because the Uchiha clan no longer existed.

Even if Sasuke became Hokage, he wouldn't be influenced by his clan.

So, while Sasuke and Naruto's statuses in Konoha were currently awkward, they were actually both candidates for the next Hokage in the Third Hokage's eyes.

Naturally, the Third Hokage didn't want Naruto to do anything that might endanger the village.

But the terrifying explosion in the mountains behind Konoha could only have been caused by a Jinchuriki.

Even though he didn't want to believe it was Naruto, much of the evidence pointed toward him.

The Third Hokage fixed Kakashi with a serious gaze. "Kakashi, I hope you understand the gravity of this matter."

Kakashi shook his head. "Lord Hokage, if it were Naruto, then who stopped him?"

"In the current Konoha, aside from you, no one else could stop a berserk Naruto."

"Not to mention, the release of such a terrifying jutsu would indicate that Naruto had completely lost control."

"And the Nine-Tails would have been on the verge of breaking free."

"But in reality, aside from that single explosion, everything went quiet."

The Third Hokage froze for a moment.

Kakashi's words were indeed logical.

If it truly had been Naruto, who could have stopped him?

Kakashi's reasoning also provided the Third Hokage with a convenient explanation.

The Third Hokage had no intention of allowing people to associate this incident with Naruto.

Now, with this explanation, he could exonerate Naruto from any blame.

"I'll have the Anbu investigate this matter thoroughly. The village's security will be heightened in the meantime," the Third Hokage said, agreeing with Kakashi.

After Kakashi finished his analysis, the Third Hokage spoke briefly.

With that, he led Konoha's jonin to the mountains behind the village.

When they saw the massive crater, even the Third Hokage couldn't help but gasp in shock.

"Destruction of this magnitude... apart from a Tailed Beast Bomb, only those two could have done this," the Third Hokage murmured, his face darkening as a thought crossed his mind.

He frowned.

Although he had agreed with Kakashi's analysis earlier, now that he was here, he didn't sense any trace of the Nine-Tails' chakra.

The Nine-Tails, being a Tailed Beast, always left behind a strong residual chakra whenever it went berserk.

But here, there was none.

This completely confirmed Kakashi's theory.

However, if it wasn't Naruto, the implications were even more frightening.

It was understandable for a Tailed Beast to cause such devastation.

But for a normal shinobi to achieve something like this? Only individuals like Uchiha Madara or Senju Hashirama could do so.

And monsters of that caliber—could Konoha even handle them?

The thought weighed heavily on the Third Hokage's mind, and his expression grew grim.

The giant crater before them left the other jonin who had followed him speechless.

They couldn't fathom what kind of terrifying jutsu could cause such destruction.

Even Guy's face was unusually serious.

"Even if I opened the Seventh Gate, I couldn't create this level of destruction. This is truly terrifying," he admitted.

Kakashi looked at the crater. Even though this was his second time seeing it, he still felt a lingering unease.

For Yoruha to have survived such a jutsu was incredible.

It was clear he possessed some hidden, extraordinary power.

Though Yoruha himself seemed unaware of it.

If he had known, he wouldn't have unleashed it.

Asuma and Kurenai also stood silently, their expressions heavy as they stared at the massive crater.

The scene before them left them at a loss for words.

The Third Hokage shook his head. "I don't know if this was caused by someone within the village or an outsider."

"I hope it's someone from within the village. If an outsider possesses such terrifying power, the shinobi world may be facing someone even more formidable than those two," he said gravely.

While a shinobi within the village with such power could also be a threat, the Third Hokage would prefer that to the alternative.

At least if it were someone from the village, there might be a chance to win them over.

But if it were an outsider who had inflicted such destruction on Konoha, it was clear they harbored no goodwill toward the village.

After a while, the Third Hokage turned away, his face expressionless. He addressed the ANBU members nearby. "Monitor the mountains closely for any further activity. Keep tonight's events confidential. Say it was an ANBU experiment with a new jutsu to explain things."

The ANBU members standing beside him nodded.

The Third Hokage glanced at Kakashi. "Kakashi, come with me."

Kakashi nodded, and the two disappeared from the mountains.

Many villagers who had been anxiously awaiting news late into the night relaxed after hearing the explanation about an ANBU experiment.

They had initially feared that the village had been attacked.

Of course, such an excuse would work on ordinary villagers and shinobi.

But it wouldn't fool Danzo.

In the headquarters of Root, Danzo leaned on his cane, one eye bandaged, as he looked at a shinobi kneeling before him.

"Was it the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki losing control?" Danzo asked in a low voice.

The Root shinobi replied, "There was no trace of the Nine-Tails' chakra at the scene."

"However, the scale of destruction could only have been caused by a Tailed Beast Bomb."

Danzo was surprised. "Not the Nine-Tails?"

"There was no trace of the Nine-Tails' chakra at the scene. It's unlikely."

Danzo stood up, his expression growing increasingly grave. "If it wasn't the Nine-Tails, then who was it? And does this person pose a threat to Konoha?"

The thought unsettled him.

"What is Hiruzen doing? Could he be secretly developing some powerful weapon?" Danzo muttered, concerned that the Third Hokage might have created something that could threaten his position.

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